Founded on March 1st, 1868, the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity was formed as America rose from the ashes of the Civil War.

The University of Virginia served as the backdrop to the Fraternity's founding. At the time, the University of Virginia was the fifth largest school in the United States, and was considered the first truly American state university, because it was the first to be established totally free from religious control.

The essence of the Founders' vision for Pi Kappa Alpha can be found in its Preamble. A committee was first suggested by Brother William Alexander "to draw up a statement of the origin and the organization of the Fraternity." The committee was composed of brothers Robertson Howard and Littleton Waller Tazewell. The resulting statement is now referred to as the Preamble The original preamble, which now resides at Pi Kappa Alpha Memorial Headquarters in Memphis, TN, is shown here.